Foreign Trade Zone #147

The Foreign-Trade Zones Program was created by the Federal Government in the 1930’s, and is an important aspect of U.S. Trade Policy today. Its purpose is to facilitate trade and increase the global competitiveness of U.S. based companies.

The Foreign Trade Zone #147 (FTZ-147) covers the central Pennsylvania region served by the World Trade Center Harrisburg.  There are numerous FTZ sites that are strategically located to offer convenient on-site inter-modal transport links for air, road and rail transportation.  More information, available sites and zone documents are available on the FTZ-147 website.

Certain types of merchandise can be imported into a Zone without going through formal Customs entry procedures or paying import duties. A Foreign Trade Zone offers companies the opportunity to defer payment of Customs duty. More often, the company pays lower costs, not only to U.S. Customs, but to its bank, insurance company, and other vendors.

In a FTZ, merchandise may be assembled, exhibited, manufactured, mixed, processed, relabeled, repackaged, repaired, salvaged, sampled, stored, tested, displayed, and destroyed.

Foreign-Trade Zone #147 is a regional economic development project that encompasses the counties of Adams, Berks, Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York.